METHOD FOR DETERMINING A WELD DESIGN FOR A MULTI-WELD COMPONENT
A method for determining seam weld length pattern for a component includes generating a baseline finite element model wherein each weld line having a base length, each weld line comprises a first end and a second end. The method also includes generating a first set of finite element models, each of the first set of models having one weld end shortened while all other weld ends at base length, generating a second set of finite element models, each of the second set of models having one weld end lengthened while all other weld ends at base length, generating fatigue data for the baseline finite element model, first and second set of finite element models. Combination models are created by comparing fatigue data between for each weld pair. The method further determines combination model fatigue data for each combination model, determines a minimum fatigue life for each of the combination models from the fatigue data and selects a weld pattern of the combination model having a highest minimum fatigue life value.
The present disclosure relates generally to welding components and, more particularly, to a method for determining weld links of multi-welds for a component.
BACKGROUNDMany systems such as automotive vehicle frames include multiple seam weld joints. A typical frame includes 40-50 seam weld joints. Each joint, in turn, has multiple seam weld lines. The length of the seam weld lines may significantly affect the fatigue performance of the other seam welds in the frame. Longer seam welds do not necessarily result in a stronger frame. One solution that has been used for many years is the experience of an engineer in determining the weld lengths. Optimizing weld joints based on experience has its drawbacks. It is nearly impossible to fully appreciate the interaction of the weld joints particularly with so many weld joints in a vehicle. Another solution is to perform finite element modeling (FEM) on every combination for every length of weld.
SUMMARYThe present disclosure significantly reduces the amount of calculation while improving results based on experience alone.
In one aspect of the disclosure, a method of selecting a weld pattern for a component includes determining seam weld length for a plurality of weld lines optimization for a system includes generating a baseline finite element model wherein each weld line having a base length, each weld line comprises a first end and a second end. The method also includes generating a first set of finite element models, each of the first set of models having one weld end shortened while all other weld ends at base length, generating a second set of finite element models, each of the second set of models having one weld end lengthened while all other weld ends at base length, generating fatigue data for the baseline finite element model, first and second set of finite element models. Combination models are created by comparing fatigue data between for each weld pair. The method further determines combination model fatigue data for each combination model, determines a minimum fatigue life for each of the combination models from the fatigue data and selects a weld pattern of the combination model having a highest minimum fatigue life value.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
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Sensitivity models are generated for the finite element models (FEM) of the configuration in
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In step 416, seam weld fatigue results data (SWF) are provided for each of the sensitivity models and the baseline sensitivity model. The seam weld fatigue results data, in this example, are provided relative to a design fatigue analysis. In the present example, the design fatigue analysis presents a percentage relative to 100% which is the design criteria set during the development of the component. It should be noted that the seam weld fatigue results data that correspond to welds with the longest lengths are not necessarily the ones that provided the longest life. Each of the welds and the length of the weld ends affect the seam fatigue weld results data for the other welds in a system. For example, fatigue results data shows the life of all the joints when the end a1 is shortened and the remaining weld lines are at the baseline position.
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The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.
Claims
1. A method for determining seam weld length for a plurality of weld lines optimization for a component comprising: creating a plurality of combination models by comparing fatigue data between the base length, the first reduced length and the first increased length and selecting a highest fatigue life for each weld pair;
- generating a baseline finite element model wherein each weld line having a base length, each weld line comprises a first end and a second end that collectively form a plurality of weld ends;
- generating a first plurality of finite element models, each of the first plurality of models having a first weld line having a shortened first end to form a first reduced length less than the base length while weld lines other than the first weld line are the base length;
- generating a second plurality of finite element models, each of the second plurality of models having a second weld line with a lengthened first end to form a first increased length while the other weld lines remain base length;
- generating fatigue data for the baseline finite element model, each of the first plurality of finite element models and the second plurality of finite element models;
- determining combination model fatigue data for each combination model, each combination model fatigue data comprises fatigue data for each of the plurality of weld ends;
- determining a minimum fatigue life for each of the combination models from the fatigue data; and
- selecting a weld pattern of the combination model having a highest minimum fatigue life value.
2. A method for determining a weld pattern comprising:
- generating a baseline sensitivity model using a plurality of weld lines having base length and baseline end positions;
- generating baseline fatigue life data from the baseline sensitivity model;
- generating a first plurality of sensitivity models, each of the first plurality of sensitivity models having one increased length end and other ends at the baseline end positions for each of the plurality of weld lines;
- generating a first plurality of fatigue life data corresponding to the first plurality of sensitivity models;
- generating a second plurality of sensitivity models, each of the second plurality of sensitivity models having one decreased length end and other ends at the baseline end positions for each of the plurality of weld lines;
- generating a second plurality of fatigue life data corresponding to the second plurality of sensitivity models;
- generating combination models for each weld line end comprising weld lengths determined by comparing the baseline fatigue life data, the first plurality of fatigue life data and the second plurality of fatigue life data;
- determining combination model fatigue data for each of the combination models, each combination model have a fatigue life for each weld line end;
- determining a minimum fatigue life for each of the combination models; and
- selecting a weld pattern of the combination model having a highest minimum fatigue life value.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein generating the combination models comprising selecting combination comprising a highest fatigue life for pairs of weld line ends.
4. A method of determining a weld pattern for component comprising a first weld line comprising a first end and a second end, a second weld line comprising a third end and a fourth end and a fourth weld line comprising a fifth end and a sixth end, the first end, the second end, the third end, the fourth end, the fifth end and the sixth end forming collectively forming a plurality of weld ends, said method comprising:
- determining a baseline fatigue sensitivity model using a first baseline position for the first end, a second baseline position for the second end, a third baseline position for the third end, a fourth baseline position for the fourth end, a fifth baseline position for the fifth end and a sixth baseline position for the sixth end, said first baseline position and a second baseline position defining a first baseline length for the first weld line, the third baseline position and the fourth baseline position defining a second baseline length for the second weld line, the fifth baseline position and the sixth baseline position defining a third baseline length for the third weld for the third weld line;
- generating baseline seam weld fatigue data from the baseline fatigue sensitivity model;
- determining a first fatigue sensitivity model for the first end by changing the first baseline position for the first end to change the first weld to fourth length less than the first baseline length while maintaining the second baseline position of the second end, the third baseline position and the fourth baseline position of the second weld and the fifth baseline position and the sixth baseline position of the third weld;
- generating first seam weld fatigue data from the first fatigue sensitivity model;
- determining a second fatigue sensitivity model for the first end by changing the first baseline position for the first end to change the first weld to a fifth length greater than the first baseline length while maintaining the second baseline position of the second end, the third baseline position and the fourth baseline position of the second weld and the fifth baseline position and the sixth baseline position of the third weld;
- generating second seam weld fatigue data from the second fatigue sensitivity model;
- determining a third fatigue sensitivity model for the second end by changing the second baseline position for the second end to change the first weld to sixth length less than the first baseline length while maintaining the first baseline position of the first end, the third baseline position and the fourth baseline position of the second weld and the fifth baseline position and the sixth baseline position of the third weld;
- generating third seam weld fatigue data from the third fatigue sensitivity model;
- determining a fourth fatigue sensitivity model for the second end by changing the second baseline position for the second end to change the first weld to a seventh length greater than the first baseline length while maintaining the first baseline position of the first end, the third baseline position and the fourth baseline position of the second weld and the fifth baseline position and the sixth baseline position of the third weld;
- generating fourth seam weld fatigue data from the fourth fatigue sensitivity model;
- determining a fifth fatigue sensitivity model for the third end by changing the third baseline position for the third end to change the second weld to eighth length less than the second baseline length while maintaining the first baseline position and the second baseline position of the first weld line, the fourth baseline position of the second weld and the fifth baseline position and the sixth baseline position of the third weld;
- generating fifth seam weld fatigue data from the fifth fatigue sensitivity model;
- determining a determining a sixth fatigue sensitivity model for the third end by changing the third baseline position for the third end to change the second weld to a ninth length greater than the second baseline length while maintaining the first baseline position and the second baseline position of the first weld line, the fourth baseline position of the second weld and the fifth baseline position and the sixth baseline position of the third weld;
- generating sixth seam weld fatigue data from the sixth fatigue sensitivity model;
- determining a seventh fatigue sensitivity model for the fourth end by changing the fourth baseline position for the fourth end to change the second weld to a tenth length less than the second baseline length while maintaining the first baseline position and the second baseline position of the first weld line, the third baseline position of the second weld and the fifth baseline position and the sixth baseline position of the third weld;
- generating seventh seam weld fatigue data from the seventh fatigue sensitivity model;
- determining a determining an eighth fatigue sensitivity model for the fourth end by changing the fourth baseline position for the fourth end to change the second weld to an eleventh length greater than the second baseline length while maintaining the first baseline position and the second baseline position of the first weld line, the third baseline position of the second weld and the fifth baseline position and the sixth baseline position of the third weld;
- generating eighth seam weld fatigue data from the eighth fatigue sensitivity model;
- determining a ninth fatigue sensitivity model for the fifth end by changing the fifth baseline position for the fifth end to change the third weld to a twelfth length less than the third baseline length while maintaining the first baseline position and the second baseline position of the first weld line, third baseline position and the fourth baseline position of the second weld and the sixth baseline position of the third weld;
- generating ninth seam weld fatigue data from the ninth fatigue sensitivity model;
- determining a tenth fatigue sensitivity model for the fifth end by changing the fifth baseline position for the fifth end to change the third weld to an thirteen length greater than the third baseline length while maintaining the first baseline position and the second baseline position of the first weld line, third baseline position and the fourth baseline position of the second weld and the sixth baseline position of the third weld;
- generating tenth seam weld fatigue data from the tenth fatigue sensitivity model;
- determining an eleventh fatigue sensitivity model for the sixth end by changing the sixth baseline position for the sixth end to change the third weld to a thirteen length less than the third baseline length while maintaining the first baseline position and the second baseline position of the first weld line, third baseline position and the fourth baseline position of the second weld and the fifth baseline position of the third weld;
- generating eleventh seam weld fatigue data from the eleventh fatigue sensitivity model;
- determining a twelfth fatigue sensitivity model for the sixth end by changing the sixth baseline position for the sixth end to change the third weld to a fourteenth length greater than the third baseline length while maintaining the first baseline position and the second baseline position of the first weld line, third baseline position and the fourth baseline position of the second weld and the fifth baseline position of the third weld;
- generating twelfth seam weld fatigue data from the twelfth fatigue sensitivity model;
- determining six combination models one for each of the plurality of weld ends, each combination model comprising a selected weld length for each of the weld ends determined by comparing each weld end to the baseline seam weld fatigue data, the first seam weld fatigue data, the second seam weld fatigue data, the third seam weld fatigue data, the fourth seam weld fatigue data, the fifth seam weld fatigue data, the sixth seam weld fatigue data, the seventh seam weld fatigue data, the eighth seam weld fatigue data, the ninth seam weld fatigue data, the tenth seam weld fatigue data, the eleventh seam weld fatigue data and the twelfth seam weld fatigue data;
- determining combination model fatigue data for each of the six combination models, each combination model has a fatigue life for each of the plurality of weld ends;
- determining a minimum fatigue life for each of the combination models; and
- selecting a weld pattern of the combination model having a highest minimum fatigue life value.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein comparing each weld end to the baseline seam weld fatigue data, the first seam weld fatigue data, the second seam weld fatigue data, the third seam weld fatigue data, the fourth seam weld fatigue data, the fifth seam weld fatigue data, the sixth seam weld fatigue data, the seventh seam weld fatigue data, the eighth seam weld fatigue data, the ninth seam weld fatigue data, the tenth seam weld fatigue data, the eleventh seam weld fatigue data and the twelfth seam weld fatigue data comprises determining a highest fatigue data value from the baseline seam weld fatigue data, the first seam weld fatigue data, the second seam weld fatigue data, the third seam weld fatigue data, the fourth seam weld fatigue data, the fifth seam weld fatigue data, the sixth seam weld fatigue data, the seventh seam weld fatigue data, the eighth seam weld fatigue data, the ninth seam weld fatigue data, the tenth seam weld fatigue data, the eleventh seam weld fatigue data and the twelfth seam weld fatigue data.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein generating the baseline seam weld fatigue data, the first seam weld fatigue data, the second seam weld fatigue data, the third seam weld fatigue data, the fourth seam weld fatigue data, the fifth seam weld fatigue data, the sixth seam weld fatigue data, the seventh seam weld fatigue data, the eighth, seam weld fatigue data, the ninth seam weld fatigue data, the tenth seam weld fatigue data, the eleventh seam weld fatigue data and the twelfth seam weld fatigue data.
7. The method of claim 4 wherein generating six combination models comprises generating a first combination model by determining weld end data using the baseline seam weld fatigue data the first seam weld fatigue data, and comparing a second seam weld fatigue result, determining a second weld end result based on the second seam weld fatigue data and the fourth seam weld fatigue data, the first seam weld fatigue data, and the second seam weld fatigue data.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 6, 2021
Publication Date: Oct 6, 2022
Inventors: Jianghui Mao (Rochester Hills, MI), Baizhong H Lin (Windsor), Frederick J Zweng (Rochester Hills, MI)
Application Number: 17/223,657